Ancient African King Mansa Musa, named world’s richest of all time, worth $400 billion

An ancient king who ruled West Africa in the 14th century has been named the richest person in history in a new inflation-adjusted list of the world’s 25 wealthiest people of all time.

The list spans a period of 1,000 years and with a combined fortune of $4.317trillion, only three of the list’s 25 are alive today; none of them are women and 14 of them are American.

The list was created using the annual 2199.6% rate of inflation, where $100million in 1913 is equal to $2.299.63 billion in 2012, Celebrity Net Worth’s list includes familiar names like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett; but sitting at number one is Mansa Musa I of Mali.

The West Africa king, the richest person in history, and the ruler of the Malian Empire which covered modern day Ghana, Timbuktu and Mali in West Africa, had a personal net worth of $400billion at the time of his death in 1331.

The list also includes the man who gave America Wal-Mart, another who developed mail-order shopping around 1870, as well as a few nobles who helped with the Norman conquest of England in the Battle of Hastings nearly one thousand years ago.

The Rothschild family, second on the list, are the richest people on earth today with assets that total at least $350billion – their wealth divided amongst mining, banks, private asset management, mixed farming, wine, and charities.

Meanwhile John D. Rockefeller, third on the list, is the richest American to have ever lived, worth $340billion in today’s USD at the time of his death in 1937.

In comparison, the poorest man on the list is 82-year-old Warren Buffett, who at his peak net worth, before he started giving his fortune to charity, was $64billion.

Every year, CP-Africa attracts millions of unique visitors that want to learn about technology, innovation & the future of business in Africa. To become a contributor, e-mail editor@cp-africa.com. For adverts and sponsorships, e-mail adverts@cp-africa.com